Prep Football Titles, State Berths at Stake

By Fred Guzman

With divisional championships decided weeks ago, football teams from the MIL are simply playing out the final round of the regular season with nothing more than pride at stake.

Locally, the highlight is a showdown between Division-I champion Baldwin and D-II kingpin Lahainaluna in a 7 p.m. game on Friday at War Memorial Stadium.  On Saturday, Kamehameha-Maui will celebrate homecoming with a 3 p.m. game against Maui High.

But the stakes are considerably higher across the rest of the state as league titles and/or state tournament berths are on the line.

It starts tonight on Oahu, where Punahou and Kamehameha square off at Aloha Stadium for the ILH championship.  The survivor gets the powerful private-school league’s only berth in the D-I state tournament.

The same venue will host a pair of televised OIA title games on Friday.  Pearl City and Waipahu open the double-header for the D-II title at 4:30 p.m., with top-ranked Farrington and No. 2 Kahuku squaring off in the nightcap for the D-I crown and the league’s top seed in the state  tournament.

The loser of that game is expected to visit Baldwin next week for an opening round game in the state D-I tourney.

The Lunas are expected to host the winner of the Big Island showdown between Konawana and Honokaa next week at War Memorial.  Kealakehe and Keeau are playing for the Big Island D-I crown.

On Kauai, Kapa’a and Waimea will play off for the league championship and a state D-II berth.